The best lunch

Hi again,

Want to know what the best lunch that will keep you full and is oh so tasty is? Let me tell you because I made it up today. Sadly, may camera broke so I will do a post on how to assemble and pics later…

OK- start with a big bowl and a mix of lettuces- mine was romaine, baby kale and arugula.

Next, top it with a half an avocado; cubbed.

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Next- I added egg salad. I made this with two hard boiled eggs, mixed with a squeeze of mustard, a spoonful of 2% Fage and a spoonful of this delicious caramelized onion bruschetta I found at Lunds in the cheese area. GOOD. Then pour that over the top.

OK ready? Add some chopped almonds.

Last- saute up a sweet potato chunks. I microwaved mine for minute then cut it into cubes and threw it in a stove top pan. I added a little balsamic, olive oil, Rosemary, garlic and sea salt. Threw that on top and BOTTABOOM. Heaven and health in a bowl.

It was actually really pretty and I really wanted to put pics up but my camera has a mind of its own… so next time I make it aka tomorrow. It kept me full for a long time! It didn’t even need dressing because it was so flavorful.

Do it- k, bye. Happy Friday.

P.S. CrossFit was sweet today and I can actually walk like a normal person. SCORE.

CrossFit today!

OK another CrossFit post!

I woke up bright and early 5:15 to have a quick snack beofre CrossFit. I usually eat a banana and scoop of PB with some coffee and water before I head. I usualy wake up needing something to eat.

Then I head to CrossFit. This morning we warmed up with a 400m row, which is soooo much harder for me than running. Everytime the warm up is with runnning I am usually the first one done but with rowing today, I was last. No big deal- no ego in CrossFit, remember?

Then we practiced deadlift cleans. I sucked. I am so awkward at lifing, as it is something I have never really done. I have a really hard time getting the movments down because I try to do it so gracefully, haha the coaches laugh at me sometimes (in a friendly way). The other day we were doing squats with a bar bell and it has to rest on your shoulders and I asked “Um, is it supposed to hurt my shoulders?” they laughed and told me I will toughen up. (I hope). Regarless of my awkwardness, I had a blast today.

The WOD. was suprisingly difficult for me. They told me I would be doing a ten minute workout. I thought “EASY!”. I need to learn that anytime a WOD sounds easy- it’s not, at all. It was AMAP (as many as possible) rounds in ten minutes of seven burppes and seven med ball cleans squats (I don’t think that is the right name, haha).

I was reeeeeally feeling it after about three rounds… I ended with ten rounds, which they said was really good. Burpees are so hard no matter what. OMGOMGOMG.

I was done in ten minutes and my heart was PUMPING and I was super sweaty. Awesome.

I headed home and enjoyed some breakfast with protein anf fats – Fage 2%, strawberries, puffed rice cereal, protein powder and strawberris in a JAR. Yum.

 

I was serioulsy starving marvin 2.5 hours later. CrossFit in the morning makes me SO hungry. Anyone else?!

I started CrossFit

Sooooo, I did it; started CrossFit last week. I was so scared to start mainly because I knew I would be addicted but also because I was scared of how hard it was. I was so used to and comfortable in my running, sculpt and yoga world BUT was rarely really challenged to the point of sore muscles anymore. I missed that feeling of dead legs and arms or abs. Well, let me tell you- I have not been this sore (other than the days after a marathon) in a LONG time.

I have been going three times a week to CrossFit Minneapolis, also known as the best in the Twin Cities (kidding but seriously). Let me start off with the things I love about it.

1. I look forward to going and seeing what the different WOD is going to be! It is so different from running, yoga or spin. I pretty much always know what I am going to get at those but when I wake up for the 6AM CrossFit I get SO pumped to go see what workout I can conquer. Also, having the team like feeling and coaches reminds me of High school teams. You push yourself cause someone is actually pushing you and keeping you accountable.

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2. It teaches me to not push through a workout to get it done. Obviously push yourself but do it right and leave your ego at the door. The other day while doing “HELEN” we had to do pull-ups, which are my biggest weakness and hate of all hates. I tried to plow through one set and on the last set of 12 I thought my arms were going to fall off and turn into jelly beans. He helped me by telling me to break it down into three sets of four. I did four, then I had another set and did 3.75 and I thought the .75 was good enough. Nope he goes “well now you still have five- the last one didn’t count”. Damn, I suppose he was right.

3. It is fast and oddly fun. You don’t go in there and kick your ass for an hour or two. Nope the other day my WOD lasted 11:46 and I legit can barely walk today. It is that REAL sore feeling where you know you are breaking down muscles to re-build them. I LOVE IT.

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4. Everyone cheers for each other. Seriously, even people I have never met figure out my name and cheer me on when I think I am going to explode.

5. You lift heavy shiz. Seriously, so cool. I was lifting this huge bar with tons of weight on it and squatting all the way down. I have never felt like I was working so hard to stand up and I loved it. I forget what the squats were called. Cleans maybe?

6. You leave feeling awesome. That basically explains it.

7. It reminds me how damn good yoga feels. Seriously- I took a class last night and it was the ONLY thing that made my thighs stop screaming and begging me to not move.

Have you tried CrossFit? Not for everyone but most people I know who have tried it love it.

What workout pushes you the most? I can push myself in most workouts but sometimes when I run alone I have to pretend to be my own coach, haha.

Love you!

 

Thankful for…

Hi!!!!

Happy Monday- I turned 24 this weekend… weird. This is the first age I feel like “woah” I am old. I know that makes some people laugh but when I was a kid I thought I would be married with children at this age (omg, no). It is funny to see how life changes.

This weekend made me realize all of the people I am thankful for in my life. From my work friends to my family and boyfriend, I am so fortunate to have some unbelievable people in my life. I feel like it is so easy to feel bad for ourselves and think about all the thing in life that are not perfect. Example; my boyfriend lives in L.A., I can’t afford to buy that seriously amazing handbag for myself, I have to go to work today… I am going to start a new Monday tradition and list a few things I am thankful for every Monday, considering the “problems” listed about are pretty lame.

So, I will begin today! I am so fortunate that I can honestly say; I am passionately in love with my job. Everyday I get to bring yoga to people I make their day, take them from a bad mood to a good mood and whip them into shape . I fully believe in the product I sell and the small things I do at work everyday go into the much bigger picture that makes people happy.

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Next- my faammmily. Cheesey? Yes, I know but for real. Mine is the shiz and I don’t know how I got so fortunate to have the best Mom, Dad and sisters in the whole wide world. They are the bomb.com

Lastly, peanut butter. Yes I am serious. I figure the last two are pretty big things in life and not everyone is so lucky to love both their jobs and family but we can all pick a food we love right? I think it is important to remember the tiny things in life that make us smile everyday. Peanut butter sure makes me smile everyday, especially Earth Balance Crunchy Peanut and Coconutbutter Spread. For real. Go buy it.

Oh- one last thing birthday desserts.

OMG- went to The Nova, in Hudson with my girlfriends from Hudson this weekend and finished up our meal on a VERY sweet note. It was one of those deserts where you make noises that may be inappropriate to be making at a restaurant with every bite.

Think of a few things you are thankful for today. I will brighten your day.

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WIAW # ?

Hi guuuys,

So I did this a while ago but have not kept up on it very well…. here we go- I will do a boring one and follow it up tomorrow with at “WIAILA” What I ate in L.A.

Here is WIAW – thanks for hosting Jen!

So here is for the norm/ boring stuff (but tasty)

For breakfast, I have been reeeeally into toasted waffles with fruit, peanut butter, and protein powder frosting!

So good check it:

Try it- I change up the fruit from strawberries to blue berries, bananas, blackberries ext. I also change up the nut butter, Sunbutter is super yummy on it!

hmm lets see, lunch has been varying from sandwiches to salads. This new salad I made up on a whim is soooo good. I had like no protein in my fridge so I through this together to bring to work in a hurry and now I am obsessed. Now, it doesn’t look like some crazy yummy thing but it is sooo good.

OK give it a chance, it is a ton of garbanzo beans, 2% cottage cheese, avocado, and hazelnuts! Super random, I know, but sometimes when you throw something together it ends up being really great! I topped it with a little truffle salt (omgomgomgomg) and some poppy seed dressing. A big role from great harvest was on the side

Snacks have been anything between the usual protein bars, protein shakes, nuts yogurt, apples and I have been into a pricey new snack- sliced mango. Duuuuude, I cannot stop buying it.

These are very good when you are in a bind!

Dinner has also been random, lots of big salads with protein and fats (nuts or avocado, goat cheese feta ext.) lots of hummus per usual.

This one I had at my parents house was particularly greeeeat. Ribs and chicken from the grill:

Yea, unreal. My parents seriously rock on the grill- I wish I was good at this/ had a grill.

I don’t know why but I have no pics of dessert lately, I have been trying to eat some protein before bed like protein powder mixed in yogurt with chocolate chips mixed in or PB with chocolate and some kind of carb- considering I have not had time to bake some cookies or something as of late…. that needs to change.

So that is sort of things I have been consuming in large amounts lately- I hope you found that as thrilling as I have… hehe. Thanks, Jen!